Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Rolling Stones...Got LIVE If You Want It! & Show # 382

Released in 1966, Got LIVE If You Want It! is the first full length live album release by The Rolling Stones. Its title is a play on words, the title originates from the Slim Harpo song "I Got Love If You Want It". The album has undergone much controversy due to its sound quality and whether or not the album is all live recordings. It has been released in various editions, some even featuring different mixes which can confuse even the most devout Rolling Stones fan. The album originally was released under the same title as an EP in the UK in 1965, becoming the last official EP from the band and one of the first live recordings of the band to be released, it was also only available in the UK. As part of a contractual obligation Got LIVE If You Want It! was released as an LP in the US for the bands US distributor. The band had already released a full length LP (Aftermath), and a compilation album in the very same year, the US market needed another Stones release to fill in the gaps due to the fact that their next full length album Between The Buttons would not be available in time for the Christmas season of that year. The US market for Rolling Stones products was in very high demand, so Got LIVE If You Want It! was released in December of 1966 on London Records. With the exception of the song "I'm Alright", the Got LIVE If You Want It! LP featured a different track listing than the EP of the same name.

The album claimed to have been recorded at Royal Albert Hall in the UK upon the bands return to the English stage on September 23rd, 1966, but it was not. The album was actually primarily recorded between October 1st and 7th of 1966 in New Castle and Bristol. Since most of the concerts in those days lasted sometimes barely thirty minutes and were often riotous, it has been suggested that although the recordings were attempted at Royal Albert Hall, they were unusable due to all of the chaos, and that is something that this album seems to capture very well, the riotous, energetic chaos of Rolling Stones concerts n the 60s. The album was also filled up with overdubs and studio recordings that were made to sound like live recordings. “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” was actually a studio outtake recorded in 1965 and featured overdubs of organ and screaming girls in order to match the rest of the live album sound. The other studio recording found on this release was the song “Fortune Teller” a song which dates back to a studio recording in 1963 that was never issued, it of course featuring screaming girls and crowd noise overdubs. It should be noted that the original unedited versions of these two tracks can be found on the More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) compilation album.

The sound of the original LP has often been scrutinized as being, muddled, off kilter and un-listenable, but despite this the album went to number six on the US Pop album charts in 1967, even going gold. The album was released for import purposes in the UK as Have You Seen Your Mother LIVE! by Decca Records, and as Hits LIVE! in Japan. In the 80s ABKO Records went back to the original tapes and re-edited and mixed Got LIVE for CD in consultation with the producer Andrew Long Oklham. In 2002, the album was re-mixed and re-mastered for CD and SACD, and proves to be one of the best sounding versions of the album. When comparing and contrasting the original Got LIVE If You Want It! LP from 1966 to the 1965 Got LIVE If You Want It! EP, there is a notable difference in sound quality, the EP is often praised for its superior sound. The original 1965 UK EP of Got LIVE, features a different mix of the song "I'm Alright" the vocals on the EP differ from the LP version of Got LIVE, while the backing track remains the same. The additional tracks found on the 1965 EP were issued on the US albums Out Of Our Heads, and December's Childern (And Everybody's) ("I'm Alright", "Route 66", and "I'm Moving On"). The UK EP remained out of print for a long time until it was released in 2004 as part of the ABKO Singles 1963-1965 Box Set on CD.

The Rolling Stones themselves have been very vocal on the matter of this album, they were not happy with the original release and disowned it, stating that their 1970 live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out is the ultimate live Rolling Stones album and their true live debut album. Its hard to disagree with that statement, if you listen to Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out and Got LIVE If You Want It! back to back, but both serve as important historical documents in different eras of the bands history. While Got LIVE If You Want It! was initially labeled as a let down, it has aged well, serving as a historical documentation of Brian Jones era Rolling Stones. From the fast version of "Under My Thumb” to the whirlwind speed of “Satisfaction” Got LIVE If You Want It! displays The Rolling Stones in all their 60s Garage Rock ragged glory.

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Revolution Rock is an award winning radio program on CJAM FM that first began broadcasting on CJAM’s airwaves in the late night hours of June 2004. Revolution Rock focuses on 60s garage rock, 70s punk/new wave, surf, alternative, indie and new/old music within those genres. Currently the show can be heard Saturday's from 7-9 PM on CJAM 99.1 FM (in the Windsor/Detroit area) and streamed online at cjam.ca. This is an informative blog that provides band profiles, download links to the radio show, playlists and more.

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I am the host of the Revolution Rock radio program on CJAM 99.1 FM (Windsor/Detroit), freelance blogger/writer, musician and film maker.
Download links to my show are provided by the the CJAM website and can be found at the bottom of each play list on this blog and can also be subscribed to as a podcast.